The first thing that stood out to me was the long vertical series of recurring phrases that stated “DO YOU BELIEVE.” After taking a closer look at them, they all seemed to be rhetorical questions that essentially ask the reader if they support racism and the oppression of black people. I am sure that the black audience of this magazine, in its entirety, would have read these and would be all in favor of supporting the magazine, however this makes me wonder what white people, white supremacists in particular, must have thought about these opening words? What would they have done with the magazine? I hadn’t thought about this previously, but I’m positive everyone involved in writing and publishing the magazine received some sort of threats or backlash from the white majority at the time.Coming back to the post, one other thing that stood out to me was the language used in just the first couple lines of the page: “NAACP needs support of every American who believes in law and order” and “if our method of legal and constitutional means faisl, only chaos will follow.” This diction that the writers used implies a tone of urgency, and even a little despair. These, combined with the magazine’s title (The Crisis) makes me wonder what the average consumer of this magazine must have been feeling about America at the time. Considering they were most likely black and have faced discrimination themselves, this magazine must have given them substantial amounts of anxiety and stress concerning the reality ahead of them as oppressed people.
Image of source: https://transcription.si.edu/view/22594/NMAAHC-2012_84_3_002
Regarding the post itself, it is a page out of a magazine, specifically, page 2. This page was likely the table of contents for the magazine and features all publication information, which states that the magazine was created in July 1919, in New York by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The initial intended audience, I assume, includes the entire population of America, but particularly African Americans and maybe white citizens who were willing to listen to and support the issues that black people faced.
According to Module 9, 1919, which was the year that this edition of the magazine was published, was a time of tragic violence in the New South. Lynchings, by terror groups such as the KKK and even the white public themselves, occurred at a historically high rate, with more than 3000 African Americans dying to lynch mobs in the span of 40 years. Adding on to this, Module 13 mentions that, also in the early 20th century, African Americans and progressive reformers acted in ways that resisted the Jim Crow Laws. An example of resistance is the magazine itself, which was created by the NAACP, a group made of black and white reformers. The context provided by the modules confirms my suspicions that while The Crisis may have definitely added to the stress of the black public, it also had to have been a beacon of hope for all those who saw society for what it currently was: a crisis.
This source is important for understanding American history because it reflects the real, concerning attitudes felt by the (African) American public regarding both their current reality and future wellbeing. This source provides modern readers with a sense of empathy for those at the time that suffered such immense discrimination. The mere urgency and “cry for help” that the magazine resembles is, in itself, a remnant of our history that symbolizes not only the darkness that America was once plagued by, but also the progress we’ve made as a society due to efforts in reforms, such as the magazine, The Crisis (even though there’s still a lot of work to do!).
Regarding my closing statement in question 4, what are your thoughts? Do you think The Crisis, as a magazine, symbolizes the foundational corruption of the American society and its hypocritical stance on the equality that the Constitution preaches? Or do you feel like the magazine moreso manifests the progress we’ve made in the realms of civil rights and, rather, reflect how much we’ve grown as a society?
Hi Joseph! I thought your question was really intriguing. I think that the editors and writers for The Crisis might have agreed with your point about the failure of the United States to live up to the promises in the Constitution. I also agree with @Caden O'Farrell' s point about progress--reading these "Do You Believe" statements, they aren't controversial per se, but the idea behind them is very political. In 1919, asking about the credit system and equal apportionment of school funds would be considered more radical than they are today (and, as you noted in your post, might invite white backlash). But what the NAACP is asking for is basically equal human rights! And democracy! (Shouldn't be controversial right?!😳)